Her Secret Invitation (Book Three)

by Amanda Martinez

  From what I learned about you and Mr. Trenton, I have deduced that you might be interested in joining a special club that I represent. The Blue Room is for men and women who enjoy the company of others and share a taste for experiences of a sexual nature. We are not your typical swingers or swappers, not that we look down on them. We at The Blue Room expect a little more from our team players, when it comes to sophistication, education, and discreetness.

  I have determined, through investigation and observation, that you and Mr. Trenton might be welcome additions to your group. If you are interested, please call me to set up an appointment for an interview and tour of The Blue Room. If you are not interested, you need do nothing. I expect this letter to reach you by Monday. If I don’t hear from you by Wednesday, I will determine you do not want to become members. If you mention this letter to anyone except Mr. Trenton, your invitation will be revoked.

  Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon.

  Sincerely,

  Theodore Jameson

  After finishing the letter, Deborah’s first thought was to call Mark and bitch him out. How dare he tell this stranger about her and her family. She picked up her cell phone, and it instantly rang, making Deborah jump. One look at the screen told her that it was Mark calling.

  “Good! Saves me the trouble of calling him,” she said and touched the accept button. She was prepared to start yelling right away, but Mark beat her to it.

  “Deborah? Have you checked your mail? I am shocked that the old man would do something like this. I promise you that I had nothing to do with it!” Mark frantically explained.

  The desperate note in his voice dissolved some of Deborah’s anger. Instead of launching into vicious rant, she said, “So if you didn’t tell him anything about us, what did you tell him?”

  “All I did was give him the script for the letter. He asked a few questions, like why I was sending the letter and what kind of person you are,” Mark said. Deborah wasn’t sure, but it sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

  “Well, I called him after receiving the red envelope, thanks to some information from Chance Lawson. I confronted our Mr. Jameson, and he refused to tell me anything about you at the time. Did he call you back at any point?” Deborah asked.

  The silence from Mark told Deborah there was something else. Finally, Mark said, “What did Chance tell you?”

  “Only that he recognized Jameson’s calligraphy on the envelope. Don’t worry, I never showed him the letter,” Deborah said, “Never mind that for the moment. What about Jameson?”

  Mark said, “He did call me on the Saturday following our first Friday. He told me he just wanted to know if I was satisfied with the letter. I, of course, told him that I was more than satisfied. Jameson asked if there had been any trouble with your husband, and I said no, he’s a great team player.”

  Deborah looked back at the letter, and her eyes focused on the term ‘team player’ written in Jameson’s flowery hand, “That’s it, right there,” she said mostly to herself.

  “What is?” Mark asked.

  “In our letter, Jameson refers to people in The Blue Room as ‘team players,’” Deborah answered, “Mark, this is crazy. I don’t think I’m ready to join some sex club. I am barely comfortable with having an extra person or two in my bed.”

  “I hear you,” Mark admitted, “so you are going to turn it down? My letter says I can only join if I bring a woman of equal measure, whatever that means. I was thinking about Ruth, but if you and Bob aren’t going, I don’t know if we would feel comfortable.”

  Deborah sighed, “I don’t know, Mark. I will have to talk to Bob about it. I will let you know tomorrow, okay?”

  “Sure,” he said, “and I’m sorry for this weird predicament.”

  Deborah laughed, “After the last two weeks, I should be used to it by now. I guess you owe me. And I plan to collect.”

  “I look forward to it,” Mark said and hung up. Deborah could almost hear the smile in his voice.

  Bob’s normal routine when he got home was to slip out of his business clothes and hit the bathroom. Deborah met him at the door with a kiss and handed him the blue envelope, “Take a read of this while you’re taking care of business. We’ll discuss it after dinner.”

  Bob’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of the envelope, but just nodded and went upstairs. When he came back down, Alex was already digging into his spaghetti. Deborah noticed her husband’s face was red, and his lips were thin. Those were sure signs that he was angry, which Deborah was glad to see. She only hoped that he was angry at the right thing. After dinner, Bob took Alex up to the boys room were they played with Legos for an hour before getting the four year old ready for bed. Deborah went up to help and say goodnight, and then she and Bob walked back down the stairs.

  As they sat on the couch, Deborah turned to her husband, “Well? What do you think?”

  Bob said nothing for ten seconds, and then quietly, “I want to beat the shit out of Mark.”

  Deborah understood the feeling, “This isn’t entirely his fault. How could he have known the man headed up some high end sex club? I talked to Mark, and he is completely distraught and apologetic. What’s done is done.”

  Bob grunted in reply, turning away from her. Deborah could tell he was imagining ways to kill Mark, so she decided to take his mind off the young man for a moment.

  “So do you want to accept the invitation?” Deborah asked.

  That got Bob’s attention, “What? I didn’t even think there was a question. Would you really want to go to a place like that?”

  Deborah shrugged her shoulders, “I’ve never really thought about it. Three weeks ago, I never would have thought about bringing a second man into our bedroom. Two weeks ago, the idea of sharing you with Ruth was not something I would have entertained.”

  “Yeah, but this--” Mark started, but he couldn’t finish. It was just too foreign.

  “I know, it seems way out there. But is it really? We’ve both shown that in the right circumstances, we are willing to share each other. Is The Blue Room a natural next step?” Deborah asked. She didn’t get an answer from Bob, and she hadn’t expected one. “Listen, if you don’t want to go, I completely understand, but I want you to really think about this and all it means. I don’t want you coming to me on Thursday with regrets.”

  Bob faced her again, “Why would I have regrets. I have you, and you are everything I’ve needed for the last 14 years.”

  Deborah kissed his cheek, “And you are the only one for me, but neither of us sowed a lot of wild oats in college. After the last two weeks, I’m worried you’ll start thinking about what other experiences you could have had. This invitation may be a good way to explore that together.”

  Bob had nothing to say about that argument, and stayed quiet for the rest of the evening. Deborah had seen her husband’s quiet side a few times, and knew it was best to leave him alone. They prepared for bed in silence, and Bob didn’t even turn on the television as he turned off the lights. Deborah lay in bed for thirty minutes, surrounded by silence, and worried she had gone too far. Then Bob finally spoke.

  “Debs, you are my wild oats. I am never going to regret our time together. I will admit that Jameson’s letter has sparked my curiosity, but that is it. I am willing to check it out, but only if you want to and only as a possibility. I’m not ready to sign up just yet.”

  Deborah rolled on top of her husband and kissed him hard, “That is some very reasonable thinking, Mr. Campbell. Would you like to call for the appointment, or shall I?”

  “You can,” Bob said, “I don’t know if I could refrain from calling it a sex shop and Jameson a horny old goat if I called.”

  Chapter 3

  Tuesday morning, Mark was already at work by the time Deborah arrived, which is something since she normally got to work thirty minutes early. Deborah could tell he was nervous and desperately wanted to talk to her, so she waved him into her office.

  Mark sat down in t
he chair in front of Deborah‘s desk, his back as straight as a board, “Deborah, once again, I am so sorry for this whole mess with Jameson. I had no idea that he would do something so bizarre.”

  Deborah waved him off, “Mark, it is fine. We will get it handled. In that spirit, I have to ask, does the invitation to tour The Blue Room interest you?”

  Mark’s jaw dropped, “Uh, I um, haven’t even thought about it, to be honest. I figured there was no way you and Bob would want to. I didn’t bring it up to Ruth.”

  “Well, maybe you should think about it,” Deborah said, “because I plan on calling him today about arranging an interview. Bob and I aren’t sure we want to join, but when a door opens, I like to take a look around and see what’s inside.”

  Mark whistled, “This is completely unexpected, Deborah. In a way, it is a complete turn on, too.” He relaxed in the chair and lowered his eyes to his tented hands, “Now that the stress of possibly losing my job and two recently formed friendships gone, I can see the attraction of the invitation. Do you and Bob want to go on the tour together? What about Ruth? Do you think she would actually want to try it out?”

  Deborah smiled, “Knowing that woman, she may already be a member. As for me and Bob, we’ll take the tour separately. I don’t want our perceptions and inhibitions to cloud your decision, or Ruth’s for that matter.”

  “Wait,” Mark said as a smirk took over his face, “you have inhibitions? I don’t think I’ve seen those.”

  Deborah laughed a little and told him to leave so she could do some work. For the rest of the morning, she powered through her to do list, calling clients, reviewing job requests, and following leads for new clients. When the clock struck noon, she pulled the blue envelope out of her purse and stared at the phone number on the back of the letter.

  “Are you ready for this?” Deborah asked herself. She answered by picking up the receiver and tapping in the number. Deborah almost lost her nerve after the second ring, but as she took the receiver from her ear, the other line picked up.

  “Good afternoon, Mrs. Campbell,” Theodore Jameson said, “does this mean you are interested in joining The Blue Room?” His voice was calm, deep, and cultured. Deborah pictured him as a silver-haired gentleman who never less than three-piece suits, preferably with pin strips that accentuated his gaunt figure.

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Jameson. My husband and I are interested in discussing membership and possibly touring your establishment,” Deborah said, working hard to keep her voice calm.

  “Let me correct you right away, Mrs. Campbell. The Blue Room is not my establishment. I have only been elected to head up recruitment.”

  Deborah mulled over that fact for a moment, “So who is the owner of The Blue Room?”

  “That is something we can discuss during the interview, if you like. What day would you and your husband like to meet me at The Blue Room?” Theodore asked.

  Deborah looked down at her calendar, “How does Wednesday at 7 sound? How long will it take? We can get a sitter for a couple of hours.”

  “Wednesday at 7 is perfect, and it shouldn’t take more than an hour. Our address is 3813 Castle View Dr., in the city,” Theodore responded, “will Mr. Trenton by joining us?”

  “That is up to him. He knows our intentions, and may be calling you soon as well.”

  “Very well,” Theodore said, “I hope my letter did not cause any concerns.”

  Deborah laughed, “We were all caught a little by surprise, but upon reflection, we decided it was a good thing.”

  Theodore answered Deborah’s laughter with some of his own, “That is often the case with our best clients. I look forward to seeing you and your husband Wednesday night. Good day.”

  “Good day,” Deborah said and hung up the phone. She breathed out in relief and looked through her glass walls to the rest of the office. Deborah was almost sure that everyone knew what her conversation was all about. Instead, she found that not one single person was looking in her direction, not even Mark.

  See, you can make an appointment to join an exclusive sex club, and no one is the wiser, Deborah thought to herself, so what’s next? Call a drug dealer or make a bomb threat?

  Deborah knew she was being silly, but that is how the whole situation felt to her. Just yesterday she was congratulating herself on weathering the strangest two weeks of her life and getting everything back to normal. Now, she and Bob had an appointment that could change her life forever.

  “You’ve made the commitment, so you best get ready,” Deborah muttered. She then sent a text to Bob, telling him about the time and date of the appointment. After that, she sent another text to her favorite babysitter’s mother, to make sure the teenager was available. Seconds later, Deborah received thumbs up from both. “And with that, there is no way to back out. Hope you’re ready for this, Deborah.”

  ***

  “Are you crazy!?”

  That was the first thing Ruth said when Deborah answered her call later that afternoon as she drove home. Luckily, she had a blue tooth connection and could keep both hands on the wheel, or Ruth’s first yell could have sent her driving into a ditch. For the next ten minutes, she tried to explain to Ruth why they were going to The Blue Room. It quickly became apparent that Ruth was not getting it.

  “Do you know what kind of strange people populate these places?” Ruth asked.

  “No, I don’t,’ Deborah answered, “Which, again, is why we are going for the interview and tour.”

  Ruth kept up her assault of questions, and stopped waiting for answers, “What about diseases? Do they screen for that? What if one of these sickos follows you home? How good is their screening process? What if someone takes pictures and tried to blackmail you?”

  “Ruth, these are all good questions, and I plan on getting answers,” Deborah said, trying to calm down her best friend, “Have you spoken to Mark?”

  “Yes, and before you ask, yes, we are going to do an interview as well. But it is different for me. Mark and I are single and don’t have as many responsibilities,” Ruth said.

  “And that is one of the reasons Bob and I are actually looking into this. We are always being responsible people, never taking chances. The Blue Room represents an opportunity to take a chance, but in a controlled environment. That doesn’t mean we will absolutely join up, but we like having the choice,” Deborah said, “Do you understand?”

  Ruth grumbled for a moment on the other end of the phone, but finally said, “Yes…but just remember when all those other women come on to you, I was your first girlfriend.”

  Deborah laughed, “And I will always be happy about that.”

  ***

  As they drove up, the size and style of the building that housed The Blue Room surprised Deborah and Bob. At first glance, it looked like an abandoned restaurant since it had no sign. The building, covered in dark wooden panels, also didn't have any windows.

  "Do we really want to go in there?" Bob asked his wife.

  "It is pretty foreboding, but we've come this far," Deborah said.

  Bob parked the car and they both got out. Bob reached out his hand and Deborah took it, automatically feeling at ease thanks to her husband's touch. As they neared the front door, Bob looked to the left and right and noticed security cameras flanking the entrance. The door opened just as they reached the top step of the porch. A tall, thin man with wavy white hair stood just inside.

  "Nailed it," Deborah whispered.

  "What?" Bob asked.

  "Tell you later," Deborah said. She looked straight at the man and said, "Mr. Jameson, I presume?"

  Theodore Jameson nodded and waved them inside, "Mr. and Mrs. Campbell, I am so glad to meet you in person. I am Theodore Jameson. Please call me Theo. If you will come inside, I will give you a tour of The Blue Room. Then we can talk about membership and all it entails."

  The outside of The Blue Room may have appeared abandoned, but the inside gave the impression of culture and refinement. Bob and Deborah walked down
hallways with rich hardwood floors, past framed works of art and tasteful plants. They came to a sitting room, with several plush leather sofas, built in book cases and a fireplace that was giving off a generous amount of heat.

  "This is our meeting room,” Theo said, ”it is the first stop for members who have decided to take part in the evening's activities. The festivities always start promptly at 10pm, with introductions and an ice breaker. Then they all move to the other rooms.”

  Theo led them out of the room and back into the hallway, “All along the main hallway there are bedrooms that are equipped with California King-sized beds. There are five downstairs and ten upstairs. Our members normally make reservations up to two weeks in advance, and then invite other members to join them in the room that night.”

  Deborah stopped at one of the bedrooms and looked inside. Once again, the décor showed taste, but was understated. She still wasn’t sure if this was for her, but her concerns about any seediness where gradually washing away. Deborah followed Theo until he stopped in front of two large doors.

  “What’s in there, Theo?” Deborah asked.

  Theo smiled at her and then turned around to take hold of the double doors, “This is our theatre.” He opened the doors, revealing a sight that made Bob and Deborah gasp. There was a medium sized stage at the far end of the room, and a dozen small tables between it and the doors. On the stage sat a bed that could easily accommodate at least eight people. Deborah also noticed that the stage had a gradual incline towards the back of the building. The angle was not enough to make anyone tumble off, but it would make the activities conducted on the bed easily viewable to anyone in the audience. On both sides of the stage there were 55” televisions, and Bob quickly figured out their purpose. He turned around, and discovered an alcove above the main doors that housed two professional looking cameras.

  “Theo, this is an impressive set up here, and it is obviously takes a large staff to maintain it. How do you guarantee that none of those staff members blackmail the members?” Bob asked.